Samsung calls court decision ‘a loss for the American consumer’

The jury in the US Apple-Samsung patent infringement trial ruled on Friday that the Korean tech giant has infringed a number of Apple patents, and as a result has been ordered to pay the Cupertino company just over $1 billion in damages.

Samsung called the verdict “a loss for the America consumer” while Apple said it applauded the court for “sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.”

Read the statements in full below:

Samsung:

Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.

Apple:

We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.

For more information on the outcome of the trial, head over to here. And to find out what the verdict might mean for Android, check out Geoff Duncan’s piece here.